What's eating my nasturtium 'alaska'?

Nasturtium 'Alaska' draws the same heavy aphid pressure as all nasturtiums — black bean aphids and peach-potato aphids colonise stems massively. Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars devour the variegated foliage. The edible flowers and leaves make chemical pesticide use undesirable: physical removal, insecticidal soap, and using the plant as a deliberate trap crop are the best strategies.

Dense colonies on stems and buds; leaves curl; flowers fail to develop; honeydew attracts ants and sooty mould. Spray colonies with diluted insecticidal soap or neem oil (safe on edibles at label rates); crush colonies by hand; plant as a trap crop away from brassicas and beans.

Ragged holes in leaves; caterpillars eat through variegated foliage and can strip a plant quickly in late summer. Check leaf undersides for egg batches and remove; handpick caterpillars; apply Bt (safe for edibles) targeting young instars.

Seedlings eaten at emergence; holes in lower leaves especially during wet periods; trails visible on foliage and soil. Scatter iron phosphate bait (approved for organic and edible use); use grit or copper barriers; direct sow into warm soil for fast germination and establishment.